I feel guilty as h***!

[Rowanm77]

I have been having a problem with what I thought was a racoon pulling my little chicks through the wire and so I locked everyone up securely in the coop every night for about 2 weeks now. Last night I forgot to close the door and this morning my 3 ducklings, 2 turkeylings, 2+ chickens, 2+ cockerels, and 30+ chicks were gone! All that's left is a few adult chickens, a head, a just a very few feathers! I feel horrible and have been crying my eyes out!!! I can't believe I left the door open! Could a racoon really have done all this? Or maybe a fox? It's just horrible!

 

[hcammack]

they could I am so sorry its so hard when animals you care for die

everyone makes mistakes !

Henry

 

[Rowanm77]

Oh yeah, and I've had a have-a-heart trap out since the killings began baited with peanut butter, dry cat food, canned dog meat, egg, cheddar cheese, ham, and dead chicks (not all at the same time) and all I've caught is a mad squirrel and 2 of my chicks.

 

[chickbea]

I'm so sorry. That's a terrible thing to have happen.

 

[talkin turkey]

I am so sorry. Are you sure there is no way that a raccoon got actually insde with some friends of his because i dont think one raccoon would do that much damage? Would it? I am sscared that raccoons and other animals will get my chickens also. Maybe you could put some sort of barrier around your coop/ run so that predators cant reach in there and get all of your chicks and ducks.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

OH no! I feel so terrible for you. Accidents happen. I hope your chickens that are alive are not too stressed out over the whole thing! :aww

 

[Poison Ivy]

I had a family of raccoons come a couple years ago and kill all but a couple birds. Sometimes they would just take the whole bird off and then sometimes they left the chicken dead in the run. I also had them pull the chickens head through the fence and eat it. I would set traps and wire in the food that way they have to struggle to get it and then set the trap off. Sorry to hear about your birds.

 

[Rowanm77]

Thanks. I've been raising these little guys for several weeks now and my brother was in love with the one duckling. I knew something was wrong when I went out to the coop to let them out and it was silent when I approached! From now until I get the "critter" everyone is going to be locked up tight in their coop and pen. No more free-range

 

[Rowanm77]

I had left the coop open and the chain-link run door, both so the critter(s) had free access and went in through the chicken door. I know they are gone and not just in the trees because they always stay in the yard and run to greet me whenever I go out. I feel really horrible! It was all my fault that I was neglectful! What ever it was took the birds away completely because there's hardly any feathers, just the one adult head and no blood or anything.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Oh! I am soooo sorry.

That is absolutely terrible. I hope you catch whatever it was that did this and send it to meet its maker! Let us know when you catch it and what it was that you caught.